Reviewer: Tracy Claimed by the Rogue by Hope Tarr
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Publication Date: March 3rd 2015
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He crossed an ocean to find her. His secret could prevent him from claiming her heart. Claimed, Book 1 When Robert Bellamy signed on with the East India Company and set sail for Calcutta, Lady Phoebe Tremont took his promise to heart. Their separation would be but brief; in six months he would send for her. Six years later, believing her love to be drowned at sea, Phoebe hides her tears behind a disguise at a masked ball to celebrate her engagement to a dashing French aristocrat. It is there she encounters a handsome guest costumed as a rogue of the sea-a pirate. When he drops his mask, she finds herself looking into a dead man's eyes. A ghost's eyes. Robert's eyes. Through hardship and degradation, Robert never lost his resolve to return home to England a rich man. Now a successful ship's captain, there is one prize left to reclaim-Phoebe. But the demure debutante he left behind has grown into a dazzling, decidedly self-determined woman. Nor is Robert the callow youth who set sail in search of adventure. Yet the one thing that could win her heart is the very dark truth his pride warns him never to reveal... Warning: This book contains steamy sex, some violence-and a hero so swoon-worthy you'll find yourself seduced into staying up into the wee hours turning pages.
Tracy’s review of Claimed by the Rogue by Hope Tarr
Robert is so excited to be back in England. He’s had a rough six years and the only thing he can think of doing is getting back to the woman he loves, Phoebe Tremont. When he arrives at her house, however, it’s to find a party going on and he soon finds out that it’s Phoebe’s engagement party. He’s not thrilled, to say the least.
When Phoebe sees Robert she thinks she’s hallucinating or dreaming. She was told that Robert had been killed when his ship sank and she’s mourned him for years. Now that he’s back she’s not sure how she feels. She’s supposed to marry her French aristocrat, Aristide, but she still loves Robert. Unfortunately Robert shrugs off his absence and getting no word to her as no big deal and Phoebe doesn’t take that well. As much as she loves Robert she feels like he’s played with her feelings and she’s done with him, or is she? Robert’s making it impossible to forget him and the more he tries the weaker Phoebe gets in her resolve.
This was a sweet love story that had mostly to do with broken trust between two people who loved each other deeply. Robert, being a man, couldn’t come out and tell her the truth about what had happened to him while he had been away as he was ashamed of what had happened and that he felt less than a man. He was afraid that Phoebe would see it that way as well so he didn’t tell her the truth and it caused a huge rift. He was determined to get her to trust him again and to win her back but I have to say that some of the ways he tried were so ridiculous I can’t even believe he tried them!
Phoebe was a sweet girl but I really wanted her to break off her engagement to Aristide the minute that Robert got back. She didn’t and it tortured Robert horribly. He’d been through so much (although she had no idea about that) and I just wanted her to treat him well, which she didn’t until the truth came out. Despite that I thought it was a good love story and was told well. I was engaged throughout and was definitely satisfied with the HEA at the end.
Rating: 3.75 out of 5
The title is available from Samhain Publishing, Ltd.. You can buy it here or here in e-format. This book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.